Saturday, October 14, 2006

1. Recognize Big Stories: This rule seems to be obvious, but there is (usually) a recipe for big stories. For example, a story that contains, How-to, Tutorial, Reference or Top10 tag have more chance to get front page story. Also, a story about Digg itself, Google or Apple is always popularized by users

Tip: Prefer to submit, how-to, reference, DIY, Top10 style stories

2. Track Pulse of Internet: To submit more and more big stories, you should have known “What’s popular right now”. My major resources for finding big stories are Delicious Popular, and Reddit. I track popular stories constantly at these sites. The popular stories which already bookmarked by dozens of people have big chance to get frontpage story on Digg, too.

Tip: Track pulse of internet on delicious and reddit. And your own resources of course (techmeme, netscape, micropersuasion, techcrunch)

3. Interesting Headlines: Some words like Awesome, Great, The only, Finally and Free are usually attracting more diggs than unexciting headlines. Create excitement with your headlines.

Tip: For writing great headlines you should read this and this

4. Humanized Story Description: Diggers usually prefer to quote from the original story. If quotation is exciting there is no problem, but usually there are better options. My advise is some add some human touch to your stories.

Tip: Look up Delicious URL on how people bookmarked your story. You’ll find some inspirational quotes to write exciting description for your stories.

5. Trackback Your Submission: This is not applied by most of digg users. But it can be so powerful. If your story is taken from a blog, i recommend you to add a comment to the story. In comment you can say “I like the story and i submit it to the digg. You and readers please add your diggs to get it frontpage the story…”

Tip: Add comment to the original story to inform readers digg submission.

6. Comment First: Comments added your story are important as the number of diggs your story have. Because diggspy get the latest dugg stories and the latest comment. If your stories have more comment, your stories take more impression and the possibility to get front page increases.

Tip: Try to be the first commenter for your stories. Write comments that spark debates and further conversations. Or ask a question about the story.

7. Timing: Timing is so important. Diggtrends have a great research about timing. They conclude that the best time submiting story is 9:00 EST because many office goers start digging as soon as they step in office.

Tip: Prefer after 09:00 EST for summiting stories

8. Make Friends: Digg is not %100 rational of course. People are more likely to dugg stories submited by their friends.

Tip: Make friends. Make generous friends. If you look at Top user screen and sort them by dugg stories you see that some of diggers dugg more than 10000 story. Add them as a friend. They are more likely to add their diggs to your stories